Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in Australia for the first time since 2018, but this time, the focus is not on a royal tour…it’s on how they got there.
Several outlets have noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle flew business class on a Qantas commercial flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Melbourne (MEL) this week, a notable change from their 2018 trip, when they traveled on a private jet. Fox News was flummoxed as to why the couple did not fly first class with a skeptical headline, “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ditch first class seats, experts question if move was a ‘strategy.’”
Um no, unless the strategy was to fly nonstop to the first engagement…
That framing misses an important detail.
Qantas Aircraft Shift From A380 To 787
Qantas is phasing out the Airbus A380 on its Los Angeles to Melbourne route, the only Qantas aircraft with a dedicated first class cabin. Instead, the airline now uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner five days per week and the A380 twice per week. On October 25, 2026, the A380 will be dropped altogether and only the 789-9 will operate that route.
That aircraft does not have a first class cabin…there was no first class to book.
So while headlines suggest the couple “downgraded” or made a conscious choice to skip first class, the reality is much simpler: business class was the highest available cabin on that flight…it probably did not make sense to wait a several days for the A380 based on their busy schedule in Australia. In fact, their flight departed on Sunday, April 12, 2026…had they waited for the A380, they would have had to connect in Sydney or wait until Thursday, April 16 (the A380 operates on Thursdays and Saturdays).
The couple apparently discreetly boarded and slept through most of the flight, with many passengers not realizing it was them until QF94 landed in Melbourne.
This trip was also different in nature.
When Harry and Meghan last visited Australia in 2018, the trip was an official royal tour, with tightly controlled travel arrangements. This time, they flew commercially, in a private capacity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in Australia for the next several days.
Business Class Is Still A Premium Product
It’s also worth noting that Qantas business class on the 787-9 is hardly a horrible ride…I had to chuckle that the “mainstream media” is lauding them for “trading royal luxury for what appears to be a more low-key entrance.”
Travelling on a commercial flight I feel was a very good move on their part as they continue to be seen as part of the people rather than in some privileged position and that will get noticed by the Australian press too.
While it lacks the exclusivity of first class, it still offers a lie-flat bed and a premium longhaul experience. For a roughly 15-hour flight to Australia, that’s more than sufficient for most travelers…
The bigger takeaway here is not that Harry and Meghan chose to fly business class, but that the narrative around that choice is being oversimplified.
CONCLUSION
Harry and Meghan did fly business class to Australia, but not necessarily because they passed on first class.
On the Qantas 787-9 operating the Los Angeles to Melbourne route, first class simply is not an option. Sometimes the explanation is not about strategy, optics, or cost. It’s about the aircraft…
image: @royalsussex / Instagram
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